Friday Recap – BMW tests the waters… in the middle of the pack

The BMW Sauber team, last year’s vice-world champion, showcased all its talents today for the start of the 2008 season. The German-Swiss team kept a low profile, completing few laps and not displaying impressive performances.

Kubica was the fastest of the two drivers. He focused on studying the tires available on the Australian circuit and has not yet found the optimal setup that would allow him to break into the top 5.

On his side, Heidfeld was just as light, not entering the top 10 in his two sessions and being mostly outpaced by Renault, Red Bull, and even Force India… BMW hasn’t revealed all its talents but did not appear today as the third force of the championship…

Robert Kubica – 7th and 15th:

« In addition to working on the set-up, we focused primarily on comparing the two proposed tires. Degradation is an issue here with this intense heat. We need to analyze the data obtained and find ways to improve. »

Nick Heidfeld – 16th and 12th:

« I continue to find it very difficult to judge the performance of the 2008 car. We will need to be patient until the qualifications to see where it stands. »

« I suspect some of the single-seaters ahead of us to be much lighter on fuel than we are. I haven’t had too many problems, so I’m staying optimistic! »

Willy Rampf – Technical Director:

« We are happy that the 2008 season starts here, in Melbourne. We have focused on race preparations and succeeded in completing the planned program. Apart from an issue with an electronic box in the first session, everything went as we wanted. We are on the right track for tomorrow. »